Today, computer technology has advanced to a great extent and continues to develop in giant steps. Powerful computer systems are available to consumers at reasonable prices. Computer networks, examples of which are the Internet and America Online.TM., are accessible at reasonable cost to all. Digital graphics, images, audio, video, and multimedia are widely available on discs and over networks. Software tools and languages, C++ and Java, for example, are now powerful enough to enable software developers to build sophisticated applications, including those running on networks.
The processing, storage, multimedia, and networking capabilities of modern computers, such as personal computers, are perfectly suited for presenting educational and cultural content in an interactive, creative, and interesting fashion. However, educational and cultural applications of computers have not reached their full capacity and there is a need to develop computer technology that facilitates more extensive use of computers for educational and cultural purposes.